Override
by Elekiddish
Summary: The Replacement was a quiet operation, but slowly, Pokémon have disappeared from our world. Why would we use such weak creatures when we can match them in man's own creation, the machine? Now is the era of the Pokémech. How I wish we'd never created them
1. A New Era

The Lab was dark now, and quiet- tourists had left, and now the hard work of the night could begin.

I strolled down the corridor, still illuminated only by the dying sun, but I wasn't concerned. The lights come on automatically at seven sharp every day. So I relaxed, enjoying a moment of silence after my hectic day handing out Pokémech to the little children and teaching the aspiring scientists how our jobs worked. We told them how we helped the Pokémon, improving their senses and their quality of life through machinery.

Of course, what really went on couldn't be farther from the truth.

At first, intentions had been noble enough. Helping injured Pokémon to cope with their disabilities by enhancing them. I remembered my starting assignment as an intern, helping R-197-01, the first Umbreon in our facility, one who had lost its night vision in one eye due to an accident. We replaced the bad eye with a digital scanner that could not only let him see in the dark, but also provided heat sensing capabilities, ultraviolet vision, and more. By that point, of course, we were feeling quite confident with the system.

But when we rigged up the electrical system within his body, something bizarre happened. The ring markings on his head and legs became almost box-like, his movements a little more rigid. I remember the panic, the fear that I had done something wrong, and on my first operation no less. But when the lead scientists looked into it, they discovered that friendship evolutions are not finalized. Umbreon evolve when they gain trust in a certain person or Pokémon, but loyalties can always change. Their evolution is unstable. So when we inserted the new tech, it was a stimulant for him that finalized his transformation.

We discovered that the situation was the same for all friendship Pokémon, and he was categorized as F-197-01 instead. My "mistake" became a huge discovery, and I rose up through the ranks quickly.

Just as I advanced myself, our Pokémech have changed. The Replacement was a subtle operation, but little by little, Pokémon have disappeared from our world. Why should we use feeble creatures, which can be destroyed, or disobey, when we have their power harnessed in man's own creation, the machine? The scientists are confident that there are no Pokémon left, at least not anywhere near human habitation. Now is the era of the Pokémech.

How I wish we had never created them.

* * *

I tapped my foot impatiently, waiting for our true generator to power on, and grant us access to the information and resources we never would have revealed during the day. Glancing at the clock on the wall, I watched the switch from 6:59 to 7 PM, then looked up at the lights that were about to turn on.

They didn't.

I was more irked than panicked. We were at the turning point of some very important research regarding the way in which vintage fire type Pokémon had controlled and fueled their flame. I could recall the time when that work began as well- we had been assisting a young female Cyndaquil whose fire was unable to start, R-155-03. We gave her some boosters where the red spots on her back would've spewed flame, which allowed her not only to start up her fire the way a normal Cyndaquil could, but also regulate the size and intensity of the flame. Fueling it was a problem, though. When we finally decided to make it solar-powered, she took in too much light during her allotted time outside, burning herself and the lab quite badly. I was still young and inexperienced at the time, and had allowed myself to grow attached to the little Pokémon, calling her Chris after the boosters on her back (C.H.R.I.S. - Concentrated Heat Regulation and Integration System). I was heartbroken to see her locked away in suspended animation with the other prototypes.

But indeed, we had come far since that mild failure. We had even revamped the artificial intelligence system to create emotions as well, so that the children could better connect to what they believed were Pokémon.

Strolling down darkened halls, I wondered idly what had gone wrong. I saw G-405-7 in passing and hailed the Pokémech Luxray down. All the G's were well-equipped for battle, and for guarding precious Lab secrets. 405-7 was Captain of the Guard, and I knew that if anyone had an idea of what was going on, it would be he. "G-405-7!" He kept walking, infrared vision eyes darting back and forth across the hall in his usual patrol routine.

I realized I'd forgotten to use the command words we'd implemented with the guards. They were the only words G's responded to, to minimize unwanted incidents with their deadly array of weaponry. "G-405-7, Doctor Russel Thornhill addressing! Command code: halt!"

The Pokémech stopped dead and I smiled at his quick response. Then his tail began to swing back and forth, the modified spike ball at the tip glinting menacingly in the half light. By the time I realized what was happening, it was too late.

I was utterly helpless. I took a deep breath, and prepared for the end.

**AN: Well, this is it! My first story! For those who don't know me, I'm artisticuno on deviantART, but I'll be known as Elekiddish here. I tend not to use anime/manga characters in my writing (unless of course it's a shipping oneshot, or something along those lines), but that's because I rarely ever follow the same arcs of the show either. I write original stories, with original characters, just borrow Pokemon to throw into the mix. Which reminds me, disclaimer. I don't own Pokemon. If I did, Zoroark wouldn't have a freakin ponytail.  
**

**Well, guess that's all I have to say here. I'll be updating a lot this week in order to catch up with where I was on dA (I discontinued the story there for posting here instead), but once that's over with I'll most likely post once or twice a week. Don't forget to R&R! ^^**

**~Elekiddish  
**


	2. The ProtoLab

**AN: Thanks so much for the reviews and favs, guys! And a special thank you to ShadowJolteon and Mind Where Odd Thoughts Drift. I really appreciate the reviews! :D (to answer your question, Mind Where Odd Thoughts Drift, chapter one IS meant to be sort of a prologue, just setting up the story. The scientist actually isn't the main character, but in a chapter or two you'll find out who really is... DUN DUN DUNNNN *shot*) **

**Well, enjoy! ^^**

**--  
**

My survival instincts kicked in, and I ducked just in time. Suddenly there was light exploding around me, electricity crackling around his bared fangs, which had been elongated and sharpened by our genetics head. Thanks a lot, Dr. Adams.

I rolled to one side, grabbing frantically at the Pokéball on my belt with sweaty fingers. "B-310-12, stand by for battle!"

I watched as my Manectric materialized in front of me, almost dizzy with relief. Twelve, as I called him for short, was strong, and he'd had his share of training fights with our Captain of the Guard.

The Luxray halted for a moment, seemingly uncertain at the presence of another Pokémech. Then he let out a series of low "uff" noises, paired with the occasional growl. My Manectric stood rigid on the spot, then let out a low, mournful sound I'd never heard from him before. The howl resonated eerily through the building, and I felt panic welling. Was Twelve switching sides?

As the howl rose to a terrifying crescendo, I picked up static on my walkie-talkie. "Rus- I mean Dr. Thornhill! Dr. Thornhill, are you there?" I recognized the voice immediately as one of my young assistants, Erika Lutz.

"Erika! What's going on?"

"The Pokémech have lost it! They've been attacking scientists left and right!

I backed away slightly from my own impending demise. "Yes, I'd gathered that. What I meant was, do you know why?"

"No idea! I was on guard at the ProtoChamber, and when I came out it was chaos!"

I thought for a moment, glancing uneasily at Twelve and Captain and wondering how much time I would have. "And the prototypes weren't disturbed?"

"Of course not, they're in suspended animation. Doctor Thornhill... what are you thinking about?"

I remembered the Installation yesterday, and how I hadn't sent Twelve out of his Pokéball since. "I think it may be the new emotive drive. The Pokémech have finally realized that they have the upper hand. And they're doing something about it."

"Well, they certainly look angry..." she replied uncertainly.

"The prototypes don't have that. Erika, how far are you from the Chamber now?

"Too far. I wouldn't be able to make it past these Pokémech..."

"Alright. I can-" I was cut off by a huge bolt from Twelve. Luckily, he was aiming only for the walkie-talkie, and when I dropped it out of surprise, his target-seek function went into action, and I was safe. For the moment.

I knew I couldn't outrun Captain and Twelve, but I was out of options. As I sprinted down the hall, I mulled over what I'd learned. If the emotive function was what caused this, Pokémech around the world would be revolting. It would be a full-scale rebellion. The humans who had stood so long as king of the castle would now be destroyed by their own creations. The irony was sickening.

But that wasn't the end of it. If Pokémech -- well, all except our prototypes -- could no longer be controlled by humans, the only ones who could defeat them would be the true Pokémon. The creatures we had pushed to the fringes of the hospitable world, and then beyond. The creatures we had replaced. The creatures we had slaughtered.

And now, they were our only hope.

* * *

I was slowing down, my pathetic human vision too weak for the dim lighting, and my pathetic human body too slow for a pair of Pokémech on the hunt. But I could see the door to the Chamber just ahead. If I could reach it in time...

The very air exploded behind me, propelling me forward in a blaze of white light. Every part of my body surged with pain from the attack, but the launch it gave me was just enough to reach the door. I was fortunate that it was one of the few still operational - or at least I assumed it was, from what Erika had told me.

The stainless steel parted and I burst inside, locking the door with my ID and collapsing as it closed behind me, leaving Luxray and Manectric on the outside.

I lay trembling a while, listening to the barks and roars outside the chamber, then forced myself to get up and walk it off. I wove between the strange cylinders where the prototypes slept. I'd been told that this section of the Lab had once been home to a Pokémon, created by humans, who invented an entire other species of his own through incredibly advanced cloning techniques. He disappeared many years ago, but some claim to have seen his superior race. Of course, that was just a silly tale told to frighten the rookie interns. Although no one had ever explained to me where the cylinders really came from...

I shook myself. I was already jumpy, and irrational thinking would help no one. Instead of looking at the containment units, I focused on what was in them.

I saw years of progress marching by as I walked through the dimly lit ProtoChamber, from Chris to F-197-01, to Pokémech far more advanced than either of them. I knew Erika and the others expected me to send out these Pokémech for backup, but against my better judgement, a new plan was forming.

I approached the main computer and swiped my ID card, watching as it lit up. "Confirm identification. Doctor Russel Thornhill?"

"Identification confirmed." I waited as it analyzed my voice, then glowed green with approval.

"Your request, Doctor Thornhill?"

"Release Pokémech R-059-14. Release Pokémech R-128-05. Release Pokémech R-233-32." Arcanine, Tauros and Donphan. All powerful, dependable Pokémon whose structural makeup we had altered only minimally. Ideal for the situation at hand.

"Requested Pokémech have been programmed to remain in suspended animation indefinitely, Doctor."

I had no choice but manual override.

**--**

**AN: Again, just wanted to say I don't own Pokemon. If I did, the supreme overlord would not be a goat.  
**


	3. Override

**AN: Thank you so much to anyone who reviewed! And also a huge thanks to Mind Where Odd Thoughts Drift, your review is making me fall out of MY chair while I type this! XD Well, this is the first chapter where you guys will "officially" meet the main character, and then we're off on our adventure! Hope you like it :D**

The computer didn't put up much of a fuss as I forced my way into the dusty compartment housing its keyboard and information on its scripting codes. I discovered it read the seemingly-ancient AppleScript, which fortunately I knew fairly well. Hearing the claws raking down the door, though, made me nervous, and I struggled to complete the necessary codes, knowing I was in a race against the clock.

After what seemed like an eternity, I had finished punching in the required passwords, swiping my ID card on more than one occasion, offering voice recognition, and coded for override. The computer was now in my control.

Now, instead of speaking, I typed out the Pokémech I required:

R-059-14  
R-128-05  
R-232-32

I heard the hiss as locks unopened for decades jerked apart in a rush of steam. The Pokémech I had requested stood quietly, not showing any signs of confusion, simply wanting to know what their next orders were. "Arcanine, Tauros, Donphan," I said, addressing each in turn and, despite decades of disuse, falling easily into the tones of a real trainer. "Go to defend the other scientists. They need your help against the robots." I gave each one a pat and mustered a small smile. "I'm counting on you."

Arcanine nuzzled me slightly in return while his comrades pawed the ground impatiently, and the team set off. "Good luck, guys..."

I could hear the clash of the rehabilitated Pokémon against my own mechs, but forced myself not to focus on that. My duty to the Lab was completed. Now, it was time for my own master plan.

I knew I had broken rules to get this far, but that was to help fellow humans survive. This time, I would be doing it off of an unproven theory and delirious optimism. The likelihood of failure wasn't enough to deter me. While the Lab closely monitored its count of operational Pokémech, it would never know if a few prototypes went missing. I would be sending them off unbeknownst to anyone, in the vain hope that they would return... with real Pokémon.

The prototypes were, in a sense, true Pokémon as well. But their machine aspects made them just as much a Pokémech. _I_ could use the Pokémech aspect to contact and enhance them so that they could survive the journey, and _they_ could use the Pokémon aspect to connect with any pure species they find and bring them back. It was a plan that might just work.

I would use two prototypes for the mission: two would have a greater chance of survival and success than one, but wouldn't be as noticeable as three. On a whim, I selected the ones that had played such an important role in my past:

F-197-01  
R-155-03

I watched as Chris and F-197-01 stepped back into the world for the first time in nearly two decades. The Umbreon shook himself briskly, then trotted off to investigate his surroundings, head twisting back and forth as he analyzed the area. Chris was shier, panicking a little, and jumping straight into the air when a little flame spewed from her back. The burns had made her more nervous than I'd thought.

They certainly weren't the ideal Pokémech for the job. One was scared out of her own skin, the other could care less about our situation. But somehow I felt they could do it.

They had to.

* * *

_F-197-01_

My good eye opened slowly, but the scanner that replaced the left one was already absorbing and evaluating data. I would never get used to that rush of knowledge that came with it every time I saw something new.

Someone caught my glance. An older man, probably in his fi-

Name: Russell Thornhill.  
Age: 53  
Gender: Male  
Body Type: Medium fitness  
Health Status: Tired, but not ill.

The data stream came flooding through my brain. That never happened to me before the operation. I wonder if other Umbreon always thought like that. Maybe there was more wrong with me than just my eye.

I didn't want to hear any more of what could be figured out by the scan, so I switched it off. The red glow dimmed to a lifeless gray, and I twisted my head back and forth to get a view of my surroundings. Suddenly, a hand swooped down and caught me. The old man. I remembered why I had wanted that operation to begin with. If a tired, elderly human could catch me by surprise, I'd never survive.

"Steady there, F-197-01," he cautioned me as I struggled angrily. I hated that name. It was so mechanical. So unlike the flesh and blood Umbreon I used to be.

Having learned my lesson, I switched the scanner back on, and almost immediately the heat-sensing function drew my gaze to the Pokémon he was holding in his other hand. A Cyndaquil.

Name: Chris  
Age: 19 Years Chronological, 1.5 Years Biological  
Gender: Female  
Body Type: High Fitness  
Health Status: Nervous, but not ill.

I wondered what all that chronological and biological junk was about. But my attention was soon pulled away by the man looming over me.

Before I could react, he pinned me under his elbow, grabbing at my scanner with one hand and wielding a bulky cable in the other. Of course. The UpGrade Wire. Any Pokémon that underwent an operation was given a slot in their new machinery that would allow the scientists to update their drives.

And then the information was streaming in again, but not in the way my scanner usually does it. I was getting a story this time. Images flashed in my mind's eye, and voices sounded. Just like that, I had a mission.

I looked up at this old man, knowing what he wanted me to do. I must go to the wild, find the pure Pokémon, and bring them back. And I would take this Cyndaquil, Chris, as my partner in that journey.

I remembered, dimly, the time when he saved me. When my rings became the bold lines that now define me. I knew I owed this man my life. I knew I had to repay him. But there was no way I would allow these scientists to control me. I am not just a number of their making.

I am Zero, and I will succeed.

**AN: Well, that's all for now! I'll update again tomorrow, but after that we'll be all caught up and updates will be weekly instead. Thanks for reading, and please review if you get the chance! Constructive criticism is welcome ^^ **

**Thanks! :D**

**~Elekiddish  
**


	4. Escape

**Thank you again for the review, Mind Where Odd Thoughts Drift! Thanks for catching that about Donphan, I just fixed it ^^ And I'm VERY impressed that someone was able to figure out the code, so kudos to you for that! XD Also thanks to Karner, and to answer your question, AppleScript is the computer code for Macs. I sorta stole it for story purposes, since I know nothing about how to code computers beyond that XD; Thanks so much to both of you, I'm really thrilled that someone likes what I'm doing here, so hopefully I don't disappoint with this chapter! :D**

The flow of knowledge ceased, leaving me lightheaded at best. I was delirious with all I had absorbed, but it was no worse than the scans I'd experienced before. Just unnatural.

Beside me, the Cyndaquil I'd identified as Chris was stumbling blindly across the plain white table. I caught her gruffly, dragging her by the scruff and plopping her down in front of me while I waited for the far-off look to fade from her eyes. "We have to go," I growled. "Now."

I could tell she felt the pull of the mission too, and without a doubt knew that I was her partner, but my appearance made her even flightier than she already had been. I guess after such confusion, it's less than reassuring to find a Pokémech monstrosity snarling in your face. She put on a brave face though, nodding quietly and staring up at the man who had given us our quest.

"I wish both of you the best of luck," he said with a nervous smile that told me he didn't think we'd be coming back at all. He patted Chris on the head and gave me a confident nod. I dipped my head in return, then leaped from the table without waiting to see if Chris was following behind. She was, scrambling clumsily to follow. I wondered briefly why I had been given such an inadequate partner, but I trusted this man enough to know that he had his reasons.

"Chris, come on," I snarled again as the klutzy Cyndaquil scurried behind. I didn't need a scan to pick up the tremble in her small frame at the sound of my voice. This was going to be a long journey.

The man, confident in our understanding of our mission, swiped his ID card through a slot in the wall, and the steel doors parted. I leaped through the wreckage outside, my scanner informing me that a struggle, Luxray and Manectric versus Arcanine, Tauros and Donphan, had taken place just an hour or so before. The trio had clearly come out victorious, and that meant my new partner and I were clear. Chris was moving more quickly now, racing through the mess of twisted metal and shattered black tile on all fours. While she had regarded me as an enemy, now she kept close, considering me the only familiar -- and therefore the only safe -- Pokémech around.

We rushed through the corridors, Chris nearly leaping out of her skin at every unexpected footfall, and me forcing her to keep pace.

There was no way we'd make it out otherwise.

* * *

We made it out the gates without too much trouble. There were cameras, but the scientists were distracted by the rampaging Pokémech. And I doubted they'd implanted us with tracking devices- according to Russell's data, we'd been locked away without the intention of ever coming out. We were considered failures. It made my blood boil.

I fought to control my emotions and analyze the city around me. It was dark, but the Roads were running. The odd person could still be seen riding along it. Pokémech were just beginning their patrol, making sure everyone arrived at home before curfew. I wondered how long it would be before they too rebelled. Or maybe they already had, and were simply biding their time. The guards were sleek, flawless creatures, almost identical to the Pokémon in whose image they were made, with the exception of modifications for superiority. We, on the other hand, were receiving weird glances. I swore under my breath, and Chris looked up, startled. "What?"

"We stick out like a couple of Frankensteins!" I hissed. Clearly, we wouldn't blend in at all here on the ground. I was hoping that on the pathways we'd be going fast enough to escape notice, but the instant Chris stepped from solid ground to the speeding Road, she fell over and then flattened herself onto the track, terrified. I had to run after her and grab her by the scruff before it intersected with another and I lost her for good in the maze of paths. I put her down beside me, where she lay trembling for a while, but we had to move on. I spoke again, this time a little more softly. "Chris, we have to get on the rooftops. There aren't any humans up there."

She looked a little more steady, and nodded determinedly. "Alright, let's do it." I realized it was the first time I'd heard her speak. A girlish voice, which was of course what I'd expected. But so _young_. It occurred to me that I'd been treating her like a stronger, faster Pokémon, not taking her age into account at all. I promised myself I'd be a little gentler from now on.

I wanted to fly through the alleys in that confident way an Umbreon has by nature, but I knew Chris wouldn't be able to keep up. So instead I used my knowledge of city life and darkness to guide her as best I could. Soon we found a derelict, red-roofed building, back from the era of the Pokémon. I wondered why it hadn't been torn down like all the other relics of the past, but I certainly wasn't complaining about the easy footholds it provided. We clambered up to the roof without too much difficulty, then I told Chris to get on my back. I knew she couldn't make the jump on her own.

There was an instant where I doubted myself. It was the first time I'd made a roof leap since my operation -- I'd been locked up soon after -- and if the data feed broke my concentration at that key moment, we'd both fall and be killed. But to an Umbreon, this is is part of life. If you can't handle life in the city, you may as well be dead anyway.

So I bunched my muscles under me and leaped. We made it to the second rooftop. Soon my confidence had grown and we were flying over at a speed that earned squeaks of terror or excitement -- I couldn't tell which -- from my little passenger.

I stopped briefly to see where our rooftops had landed us. We were at the top of a reasonably tall building, and city stretched out below us for miles around. A chaotic mix of paths, people and Pokémech. Plenty of places for us to run to in the event of danger. But they knew this city far better than we did

And there was no where to hide.


End file.
